Signal for automobiles.



w. a. ROBERTS.

. SIGNAL FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLlCATlON FlLAED-SEPT- 30. 1916.

Patented Aug. 6, 191g 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 @mfr/i? Mry?.

IN VE/V TOI? A TTOHNEY nu: Manns ersns cu, pnamgfua. musulman". u c. y

1 fwrLBERT'R. nonnnrsbn soir'rn BEND, Inbreng, Assienon or oNnnnLF-To mann 1,274,785 A Appiieation'med september 30,1916; .seriaino 123,018. Y

't MSHAFEm OFYSOUTHLBEND, rivr ranit` i i l l To all tohom z'tmay concern? l j I @Be it known thatl, WiLBERrRLRoBnRTs, l a citizen'ofthe 'nitedl States, residing'iat, South Bend, 'inv the"county,TofSt.V VJoseph and State ofjndiana, `haveinvented''certain new and useful linproveinentsinffSignals' for `utomoloiles, ofi which the following sonieione in'thfe fvehicl'eltoindicatefby 'out-1 'l a specification? V f' l The invention relates to an improvement in signals 'for *automobiles and similar. yel hicles, 'in' the iuser yofi which the driver: may A* indicate to anfapproaching orlfollowingve-A ,hicle thathe Yintends to turn,z and4A i he aonorsuch'mrm A l i f Many municipalities require the' driverfor N stretched arin: the* 'ffact" that the vehiclef is aboutto turn,` andthepresent invention 1s directed 'tolaficonstruction 'simulating such required" action by lthe :vehicleoccupant` f The invention generally'fstated-,ffcomprises elongated 'signal'l arms; preferably; with illui' mzinating 'means vv`for *night signaling,f; ar-

ranged adj acent'- `opposite sides '1 of the cowl,

either-'of which may be'operated iatth'e willk of they driver tobe :projected atfright; angles tthe vehicle', and tofther'eby indicate' a; con:-

l "l" templatedfturn of the vehicle,and`the1direci tion offsuch turn. u

- ForX signaling night; aan; signalV i .afmv

provided?? v with 'van illurninating i'neans, preferably? `an electric bulb', and Arfthey circuit f" forifener'gizing the Saineisautomatically 4governed bythernmfernentiioftheI arm to signaling position, so "that 'the S1 particular arni 4"periated T 'isilluminated `ly-'- `:inlinediately precedinlgl r and f Ywhile n nf' signaling positions-,v

The invention'iriihiprfma form of details will be described in th""""'follo'w'ing specification, referencebeing'hadf=particularly to the accompanyingfdawings, in

@ll-Figure'- r is a -view-Hn -e1eyati-on,i11psafat-- ingthe improved signals applied, one Oftlif"y signals being shown in signaling positions in dotted lines; Y YY Fig; 2 is a side elevation partly in Section l `v of the same;

Fig.4 3 is an enlarged sectional ,view partly in elevation, illustrating the mounting ofthe y signals;

Fig. 4 is aplan of thesupporting mem- Y ber for the operating parts, with such-'parts in position; A t y I SIGNAL ron financi/iciernes.` i l f Y '5 l.is aV broken" elevation:showing the manually `operable member forf'the signals. 'l-Fig. 6 isabrokenvplan illustrating particularly the switch .1 Connection.

The present `invention is*r designed forI use,

with'outrequiri'ng change ink Vthe structure of' the? presentautolnobile, for vsuch purpose.

yond thefend's of the vertical ledge, are i formedas at 4, to presentangularly related Y portions, to bear against the cowl 5, and v beneath the same, being secured linupla'ce l by any appropriate means. The support 14 is designed tocarry the operating parts, and

being thus housedwithin the cowlyin-front ofv the instrument `Vboard, is entirely 1 concealed fromview,though readily accessible when-'necessary to yadjust or replaceA any of the: parts of' the mechanism. Rotatably nal vsupporting shaftg v"lh'isportion 'ofjthe shaft is'lrotatably I mounted Vin a horizontal ledge- 21Iofj the support, and iniabearing the",1 cowl, projecting a slight distance above the saine, land Vbeing` there" formed to vprovide forwardly proJecting I or' right l angled fsee- 2T-hesignals proper, preferably in' the formV of? triangular shaped blades 8, are `secured r at their base portionsV tothe horizontalsections T of theshaft, so that said signals are 'rotated Ain a horizontal planelon movement of ythe shaft. The respective shafts are so located adjacent the side portions of the Yrnountedvlin the supportf'adjacent'eah endy Y thereof, :is the verticalportionl 6, yof thesig;

cowl that ther signals, when ininoperative positions, may extend directly forward', and

Vwhen in operative position, may `project'laterally, extending a suficient distance beyond the sides of the car to be clearly visible from in front or rear of the car. t

Adjustably secured upon the portions 6 of eachoperating shaft, immediatelybelow the horizontal ledge of the support, is .an operat-y 110 noY 1 ing arm 9, the free terminal of which is formed with an eye 10, to receive a cord or. cabley 11'. rIhe opposite terminals?t ofthe cables 11 are connected toa-similar point-12 on the periphery of a circumferentially grooved disk 13, secured upon one end ofa hand shaft 14,.which is mounted in the sup-v port and'in the instrument board 15 ofthe' vehicle. In front of theinstrument board the hand shaft 14 is provided with a handle 16, moving over a quadrantl'?, withsaid quadrant, orthe handle, orl both,.formed.in any appropriate manner,indicat`ed atv 18, whereby the handle lmay. beheldin eitherx of threelpositions. In the upright position the handle holdsthe signals in aninoperative position, while'in movingpthe'handle from such uprighty position in. either direction, the particularn cable drawn upon Williset its connected signal to an operative position, the remainingisignal, by reason ofthe flexibility of its cable.1 remainingv inactive. Ai spring 19 connects each armiQ-to a pin 20, depending from. the support,- the springs acting; in i opposition'fto the: cables, `and ,serving to return the signals to vnormal positions yuponv release of the-handlefromia-set or operative posi@ tion.

The signals :are designedv for use atE night, under which circumstances the bladesS are formed with. openingsfZl, and` the operating shafts, which are hollow, terminatey atthe openingsl and are provided with sockets for the reception of electric bulbsv22. Therespective bulbs are in parallel..- circuit. -from a source-o` energy 23, the respectiveconductors of eitherrcircuit including an automatic switch. Such conductori-indicated at 2.4L, leadingffrom the bulb throughzthe operating shaftY and being'terminallyyconnected to a lugor. headed? pin 25,. projecting; fromv the arm 9.. Secured upon the support 1, i in properrelation .to be yengaged by. the contact 25, when the sign-al; has; sheen moved: to-an operative position, isa contaotfblock', to which the remaining section ofLthe conductor 24C, leading4 fromI the battery, is connected. The block Qis-of courseinsulated fromfthe support, and the remaining conductor 27 of this scircuit, leadsf directly Vfrom fthe -;batte`ry to :the bulb. :The illuminating means -of"f. a

l p articularfsignalj is ,thus energized only as such signal" is moved to an operative position, it of course being understood that the circuits@ as-an entirety, maybe. broken. by` a simple -switohl (not shown), for daylight running.v

Thesignals are thus operated from a positionrconvenient t0 the driver, who, through suitable manipulation ot' the handle, may. set asignal to indicate. to anyone interested the fact that the vehicle is going to turn and the direction of suchtturn, the parts-whenset remaining setf until? released by the driver. Under these. circumstances,y followingv the setting. of 4the signal, which may-be instantly done,.the=drivers full attention may bedirectedto thecontroloff, the vehicle.

Having describedr my.- invention, what I claim and desire to secure by,y Letters-Patentiss- Y 1. A signal for: lautomobiles or the like, comprising asupport securedy to the cowl, shafts mounted infthe support and projecting; through .the cowl,V signal blades `carried by the shafts, arms securedfto fthe shaftsy adjacent fthe: support, an-` operating: disk; `rotatably mounted-upon :the 1 support, and connections .between the v respectivearlns. `and disk, said-connectionsbeing. flexible andcon-L nected;V to .fthe same; point on the.v disk to 4operate but onesignal;inrthefmovement ofv the diskingonei direction.y i y i v2. A signal fon 1automobilesorv the like, comprisingfyasupport securedl to the cowl, shafts: mounted, in the support and i proj ecting.' throughv the cow;l,. signal blades f carried by the *.shafts, arms? secured. to thev shafts adjacentithesupport, an operati-ngdisk ro.- tatably mounted upon the supportg 4 and` connections between the respectivearms and disk, ,saideonnection-s being flexible; and connected. to the-same point on the: disk toopj erate: butEv one signal` infthefmovement ofthe diskY in'y one direction, ,and springs connected to the arms actingfinf oppositionto the flexi; ble connection; v Y y i f In testimony.- .whereofI aixmy signature incpresenceof two Witnesses. Y

p V WILBERT-R. ROBERTS Witnesses: i

.GEORGE J; Ourson, d AGNES, GORDON. f

xzeiceuts e ac:l}1,f1 iyj` addressingthe. Caunmissioner.n oLPatents, Washington,1D. .C. 

